To Get Married - Chapter 45

Chapter 45

In middle school, whenever it was a weekend or a winter/summer break, Lu Yudong would spend all her time running to the Not An Old Friend bar.

The bar closed late, so by the time they got home, it was 2:30 AM at the earliest. If they both needed to shower that day, they would usually squeeze into the tiny bathroom together to save time.

It didn’t happen often, but at the time, Yudong never felt awkward about it. It felt just like when she was younger and her mother would stay with her during bath time.

But as she grew older, she gradually became shy. She was afraid of being teased, afraid of comparisons, and even more afraid that when their bodies were laid bare to one another, Manzhu would notice her eyes—eyes that didn’t know where to look.

She truly couldn’t maintain a heart as still as water anymore. From the day she began harboring a little secret in her heart, that peace had vanished.

In the past, her gazes at Manzhu, her reliance on her, and even their physical contact had been pure and simple. But suddenly, one day, everything changed. Natural gestures slowly became acts of camouflage and imitation.

She began to pretend she was still the same child who never grew up, someone who simply loved to cling to the person she relied on. She started observing and mimicking her classmates, relatives, and the boundaries between close friends. Within the borders she drew for herself, she worked hard to claim the companionship and care she craved, while nervously yet skillfully hiding every blush and racing heartbeat.

Though she sometimes felt her acting was clumsy, she was fortunate that Manzhu understood nothing of such matters and would never even think in that direction.

She thought that Zhang Ziyun must have been the same way—hiding it all so well that until the pain became so overwhelming she reached out for a lifeline, no one suspected a thing.

If she could keep this secret for a lifetime, would she be able to stay by Manzhu’s side for a lifetime?

But she didn’t want it to be like this forever. She once thought she was content with the status quo, but now she realized that human greed has no end.

She loved Manzhu too much. From the day she lost her parents and the moment she met Manzhu, Manzhu had become her entire world.

Actually, even back then, something had taken root and sprouted in her heart. Like her intellect or her height, it grew bigger and taller with time. It was like a vine, winding up from her heart and growing outward, desperate to follow her veins and take complete control of her.

That “thing” told her—You shouldn’t be satisfied with the way things are.

Since this is the person you love, you should keep her by your side forever.

Yet, in the end, she didn’t dare. It wasn’t just a lack of courage; she also didn’t have enough evidence to prove that she was special enough to Manzhu to cross the line that many called the “ultimate boundary.” She wanted to test the waters, yet she was terrified to try.

Looking at Manzhu’s reply now, Yudong’s feelings were complicated.

During high school, there was a period when she was malnourished and often had hangnails. She couldn’t resist picking at them until they bled and her fingers throbbed. During those days, Manzhu often offered to shower with her so she could help wash her hair, otherwise, the strands would catch on the raw skin. But back then, Yudong refused every time, locking herself in the bathroom alone.

Looking back, her refusal was simply because her state of mind had shifted.

The reason Manzhu could still so naturally suggest bathing together, naturally feed her, sleep beside her, and hug or hold her hand without a single blush was precisely because she had always viewed Yudong as a child.

In Manzhu’s heart, she was just a child who would never grow up.

If Manzhu liked such a child, she was willing to keep up the act. Although she felt indignant, at least this way she wouldn’t scare Manzhu away. For now, the current Manzhu still belonged to her, the “child.”

At least within that daily routine of being “good,” she could occasionally afford to be bold…

University life was much more relaxed than high school.

Lu Yudong’s schedule for the first semester was quite light. She had plenty of free time, which she spent watching dramas and variety shows with her roommates, or using the dorm’s Wi-Fi to catch up on the movies and shows Manzhu was watching so they would have more to talk about at home.

As they spent more time together, the four roommates became increasingly close.

Tang Qian turned out to be an online novelist. Whenever she was free, she would shut herself behind her curtains to type, completely immersed. However, whenever they asked what she was writing, she refused to say, keeping her pen name a closely guarded secret.

Chen Yang was a full-fledged “rich, beautiful socialite.” Even though she hung out with everyone and shared their hobbies, different people simply have different spending habits.

Right after military training, both Chen Yang and Ye Liujing were fans of the junior, Cheng Kaiyu. Chen Yang somehow managed to get two front-row tickets for the show’s grand finale recording. She let out a scream in the dorm: “Yudong! Little Leaf! Which one of you wants to go to Haicheng with me to see Senior Kaiyu?”

Yudong shook her head. If she was going to take time off to watch a recording, she’d rather spend that time at the bar. After all, it was all just listening to music—wasn’t listening to Manzhu just as good?

The second she declined, Ye Liujing—who had been napping—snapped upright like a reanimated corpse, eyes glowing as she looked at Chen Yang: “How much? How much?!”

“It’s free! You just have to come with me!”

“For real?”

“For real!”

“I’m going! I’m going! I’m going!”

That afternoon, the two of them bought round-trip tickets and flew to Haicheng. The airfare alone for the two of them cost over two thousand yuan. Later, Ye Liujing reported that they were picked up by a luxury car as soon as they landed, and their hotel cost over two thousand a night. The person who drove them even said, “Make do with this for tonight; at least it’s close to the venue,” as if the arrangement was somehow a compromise.

Ye Liujing was stunned, feeling like a country bumpkin entering the big city for the first time. Only after the driver left did she whisper, “Chen Yang, the hotel money…”

“I brought you here, so of course I pay!”

“The finale tickets…”

“I got them through a connection, they didn’t cost anything!”

“Then let me transfer the airfare to you…”

“I’ll cover it!”

“At least let me pay for something, my conscience is starting to feel guilty.”

“Don’t! I dragged you out here to accompany me; if I made you pay, my conscience would feel guilty!”

In that moment, Ye Liujing felt dizzy from the sheer force of Chen Yang’s wealth.

“The Professors are so scary! 415”

Little Leaf: Guys, I am literally shook!

Little Leaf: We have a secret multi-millionaire among us! We’ve all been deceived!

It’s Yangyang: !!!

Tang Qian: [Seems like something happened?]

Lu Yudong: [Popcorn eating spectator]

Little Leaf: [It’s truly incredible!]

Soon, Ye Liujing started a group video call, giving the two roommates back at school a tour of the hotel while babbling about the luxury car and the successful-looking, wealthy older man who was extremely polite to Chen Yang.

This shocked Yudong and Tang Qian, who hadn’t seen much of the world either. In the end, Ye Liujing still felt bad and transferred the airfare money to Chen Yang, saying, “The tickets and hotel are on you, but I have to pay my own travel costs!”

Thinking back, Chen Yang really didn’t care about discounts or free shipping. If she overpaid, she didn’t ask for a refund; if she didn’t like something, she didn’t return it—she just put it away and eventually sent it home. If she liked something, she spent money on it without hesitation. Even a random mobile game she’d get bored of in a week would get her to spend a fortune on gacha pulls.

Once, a popular gacha game caught her eye. To get a pretty female character, she lost control and spent a lot of money. Once she got the character, her interest faded, and the account was left to rot. Before she quit, Ye Liujing asked, “How much did you whale on that game?”

Chen Yang hesitated, held up six fingers, thought about it, and changed it to seven.

Lu Yudong: “Six or seven hundred?”

Ye Liujing: “I bet it was six or seven thousand.”

Tang Qian: “Are you underestimating our rich lady? It was definitely sixty or seventy thousand!”

Sure enough, Tang Qian was right.

The three roommates were heartbroken on her behalf. They urged her not to be lazy and to sell the account before the game died. They managed to claw back about ten percent of her money for her.

“Wait, you can sell things you don’t want?” Chen Yang seemed to have discovered a whole new world.

Ye Liujing: “Duh! Any second-hand stuff you don’t like is money!”

Lu Yudong: “Even a ten-yuan refund on Taobao is money! Returning things you don’t like is money!”

Tang Qian: “Delivery coupons are money! Writing reviews for a few cents is money!”

Chen Yang shrunk her neck back. “I didn’t know…”

All her life, people around her had found ways to make her treat them or buy them gifts. This was the first time people were teaching her how to save money. She was so happy that she took them all out for an expensive Japanese dinner that night.

The moment the menu arrived, Yudong looked at the prices, took several deep breaths, and almost ran away. With an average cost of 1,000 yuan per person, Yudong felt she would never eat this again in her life. She didn’t think it was even that tasty, but given the price, she didn’t dare say so until they left the shop. When Chen Yang was the first to complain about the taste, Yudong joined the others in agreement.

That weekend, after lunch, Yudong dragged Manzhu to the bar to chat with the demons. She mentioned the dinner incident.

“That expensive? For four people?” Manzhu asked. “Over a thousand per person…” Yudong said. Manzhu was silent for a moment, then whispered, “Was it especially delicious?”

“Not really!”

Manzhu breathed a sigh of relief. In the past, when Yudong was unhappy, she’d buy her fried chicken and Coke. If Yudong actually started liking food at that price range, the cost of cheering her up would be too high—a sixth of her monthly salary!

Huanxi wanted to cry. “Being rich is great. Not like us, working for such a stingy boss. Forget 1,000-yuan Japanese food, ordering a meal over fifty yuan feels like a luxury!”

Xiaozhi added, “Prices are going up, but what about our wages?”

Gou Hongjie chimed in, “I think I’m pretty good-looking. I can cook and warm a bed. If she likes dogs, I can even go ‘woof woof.’ Will a rich lady ever see through my tough exterior and sponsor me?”

“Wake up, you’re a demon,” said Uncle Yang, the security guard. “Er-Gouzi, you’re quite average-looking,” said Little White, the rabbit spirit. Huanxi added the finishing blow: “That’s male demons for you. So average, yet so confident.”

Gou Hongjie was speechless, while Xiaozhi giggled on the side.

“Who’s making generalizations?” Mu Chenshan, who had been sleeping, came downstairs with his long hair loose, unable to resist the commotion.

Huanxi explained, “Boss, we’re talking about Er-Gouzi. He wants to find a sugar mama. Tell him—is it because you pay him too little?”

“Such a thing exists?” Mu Chenshan looked shocked. “No, no!” Gou Hongjie waved his hands. “I’m satisfied with the status quo. Though if Boss wants to give a raise, then…” “Not a chance,” Mu Chenshan interrupted. “I’ve always wanted to buy a villa by the sea. Since I started raising you lot, I’ve been getting further from my goal… especially Hong Hong!”

Manzhu, who was watching the show, looked up. “Why do you want a villa? Demons can’t stay in a city for more than thirty years. Once the temporary residency is up, the Bureau kicks you out anyway.”

“Then I can enjoy it for thirty years, right? Renting it or selling it—it’s all money!” Mu Chenshan looked at everyone. “So, why are you all gathered here?”

“Talking about rich women,” Huanxi said. “What rich women?” Gou Hongjie said, “Yudong’s roommate is rich. She treated them to a meal that cost 1,200 per person.”

Mu Chenshan fell into deep thought. After a moment, he pulled Gou Hongjie out of his seat and sat down himself. He looked at Yudong seriously. “Does the rich lady like to drink?”

Lu Yudong: “…”

“Our bar welcomes rich ladies and their friends to spend money anytime. We’ll recommend the most expensive wine—the pricier the better. We’ll find ways to keep them refilling their glasses. We can provide the most sincere chatting services…” Mu Chenshan tied up his hair calmly. “In moments of necessity, it’s not impossible to sell some ‘charms’.”

Manzhu glanced at the second-floor hallway. “Zhaomu, you’re awake?”

Mu Chenshan instantly bounded out of his chair and shoved Gou Hongjie back into the seat. “I mean, selling Er-Gouzi’s charms.”

Huanxi said, “Er-Gouzi doesn’t have any ‘charms’.”

“How can you say that?” Mu Chenshan slapped Gou Hongjie on the shoulder.

A second later, a cloud of black mist enveloped him. When it dissipated, the person in the chair was gone, replaced by a fluffy, large white dog. Its ears were short and pointy, its tongue was lolling out, and it sat on the chair with its paws tucked awkwardly, looking incredibly honest and cute.

“I don’t believe for a second that there’s a girl in this day and age who doesn’t like doggies,” Mu Chenshan said. He then looked at Huanxi. “And if she doesn’t like dogs, we have cats…”

Huanxi instinctively took a step back, then realized it wasn’t far enough and ran up to the second floor. In that moment, she brushed past Yan Zhaomu, who was coming down. The former was like the wind, elusive; the latter looked completely bewildered.

Samoyed: “Woof! Woof woof woof!” (Boss, let me change back!)

Lu Yudong discovered with a start that she could actually understand the dog’s barking!